The inaugural meeting of the Adopt A River (AAR) Steering Committee was held on Friday 29th November at WASA’s Public Education Centre, Farm Road St. Joseph. Advisor to the Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, Dr. Andy Ali, who represented Senator the Honourable Ganga Singh, Minister of the Environment and Water Resources, presented members of the committee with their instruments of appointment, during a ceremony prior to the meeting.

During his feature address, Dr. Ali welcomed representatives of state and public sector organisations; as well as civil society, who will be charged with the responsibility of developing guidelines towards the protection, preservation and management of the country’s rivers and watersheds, and noted the significant progress made AAR Programme, since its launch in July 2013. He commended the Authority for its efforts and emphasized the need for creative initiatives, such as AAR, to aid in sustaining the country’s surface water resources.

While delivering opening remarks, acting CEO, Gerard Yorke, called for a coordinated, holistic and sustained approach towards water resource management, as he addressed audience members at a ceremony, and hailed the initiative as one that would redound to the benefit of future generations of the country.

Also speaking on the programme was Head- Water Resources Agency, Rajindra Gosine, who stated that the AAR Programme has been developing at a remarkable rate since its launch in July, with several new organisations expressing their commitment towards supporting the initiative. He went on to give an update on project areas throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

The ‘Adopt a River’ programme aims to bring awareness to local water pollution issues and to facilitate the participation of stakeholders towards reducing many of the challenges negatively impacting the country’s watershed and water resources.

Following the handing over of instruments to the Steering Committee members, the committee which is chaired by Head WRA, Rajundra Gosine, held its first official meeting in the conference room at the PEC. The twelve member committee is comprised of the following: Peggy Ann Baptiste, acting Senior Research Officer, Ministry of the People and Social Development, Donna Ferraz, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Hinni Maraj, Civil Engineer Ministry of Local Government, Dianne Joshua- Bochoon, Curriculum Coordinator (Ag.) Ministry of Education, Candace Amoroso, Biodiversity Specialist, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Pat Mc Gaw, Secretary, Council of Presidents of the Environment (COPE), Christine Espinosa, Planning Officer II Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs, Ann Marie Dardine, Director of the Engineering Division, Ministry of Food Production, Dr. Vincent Cooper, Lecturer, Department of Civil Engineering, the University of the West Indies, Karen Paul, Senior Lecturer, Environmental Studies Department, COSTAATT, Robert Dematas, Forest Management Officer, Tobago House of Assembly, Rajindra Gosine, Head Water Resources Agency, Water and Sewerage Authority.